Lambs come from behind twice for victory

FT: Hucknall 23 Tamworth

21 March 2009Tamworth travelled the short distance up the M1 to play bottom of the side Hucknall in a crunch league fixture.Gary Mills made one change to the side that drew 1-1 with Blyth Spartans with new signing Michael Blackwood coming into the starting eleven.

A fantastic away following applauded the Lambs on to the field at Watnall-Road in the glorious sunshine.The home side started proceedings and despite the scrappiness of the opening few minutes the game was played at a furious pace.On 6 Blackwood, playing all over the park, back heeled into the path of Sheridan, but with a defender in the way, the former NottsCounty pulled his shot wide of the mark.Smith hit a hopeful long range effort into the arms of ex-Lamb Lindley on 8 and Pritchard miscued a shot on 10 from a period of sustained pressure, which saw him slice the ball over the target from Lyttle’s thrown.However, on 12 Meikle clipped the top of the bar with a dipping effort on the half volley from 20 yards to give Tamworth a scare.There was a definite sense of urgency about The Lambs which, coupled with the hard playing surface saw balls run away from Alcock’s quickly launched kicks up field and when Lindley took a similar stance he won a corner for Hucknall off the head of Michael Wylde on 17. It came to nothing though when Ward blazed his shot off target.‘The Yellows’ won another corner on 21 and Sucharewycz headed goalward but his effort rose over the bar from 15 yards out as the home side seemed content to chase long balls through the middle.Blackwood and Sheldon almost played a perfect one two into the area on 22, but the final ball from the new signing was a yard behind the Lambs leading marksman and the chance was gone.The. On 23. MacAughtrie sent Ricketts tumbling in the area and conceded a penalty as well as picking up a booking. Ricketts stepped up to take it and buried it into the far left hand corner (0-1, 24 mins)The Lambs response though was immediate as from the kick off Tamworth surged forward, Sheldon put a perfect pass to the feet of Pritchard who slotted the ball into the far right and corner beyond the reach of Lindley to level the tie (1-1, 25 mins)On 28 Blackwood launched a left sided freekick into the area and although it was initially cleared, Sheridan planted the ball on to the head of Pritchard, but his header was straight at Lindley.A push by Blackwood on the edge of the Lambs area, defending a corner, gave Hucknall a freekick on 33 and Ricketts put the ball straight around the wall and into the net, leaving Alcock flat footed (1-2, 33 mins).Blackwood put a good cross over the head of Lindley from the left by-line but Wright was not quite close enough to force the ball in with a defender covering.Sheldon put a looping header over the bar on 41 from Wylde’s ball from the left wing into the box and Sheridan struck a dipping effort over the top of the woodwork a couple of minutes later from 18 yards as The Lambs tried to get back into the game before half time.In added time at the end of the half, Pritchard flicked the ball into the box, but Sucharewycz handled and Sheldon put the penalty home to make it 2-2 at the break.

HT: Hucknall 22 Tamworth

Tamworth got the second half underway but it was the home side who had the first chance, inside the first minute when Meikle flashed a shot over the bar from distance.A foul on Sheridan on the right sent most of the Lambs forward for Blackwood’s freekick on 49 but Lindley was untroubled by the effort and collected easily.Sheldon then fired home possibly the goal of the season on 55. Blackwood crossed low into the area and Sheridan flicked a very low header past the last two defenders, allowing Sheldon to half volley from the left of the area, Roy of the Rovers style, in mid flight, into the far corner.(3-2, 55 mins)Wright cleared the goal with a shot on the hour after some neat touches between himself, Pritchard and Foster on the left and Balckwood rolled the ball into the path of Pritchard on 62 who had a shot at Lindley from the edge of the area but it failed to trouble the keeper.A foul on the left corner of the area on 64 set up Sheldon with a freekick chance which he curled just off target.Hucknall exerted some pressure of their own and thought they won what would have been the third penalty of the game following a few pushes and shoves in the area on 70 but their claims were waved away by referee Mr Dexter.Sheldon picked up a needless booking for reacting improperly to the referee’s decision to award a freekick on 71.With 13 to go Tamworth were starting to take control of proceedings for the most part, keeping possession for long periods although Smith picked up the Lambs third booking for time wasting from a freekick on 79.With 5 to go Hucknall fired a freekick into the danger area and substitute O’Brien hit a hopeful shot at Alcock which he caught at head height and on 87 Shaw came on for a tiring Wright.Wylde and Pritchard worked the ball into the corner in added time at the end of the game and a foul on the latter won a Lamnbs freekick by the flag, wasting a few more precious seconds before the end of the game.Blackwood went on a good run down the left when the home defence faltered and crossed for Sheldon but Walters got in the way just prior to the final whistle blowing on a hard earned three points.